The Federal Reserve building

The Bohemian

1oz Gin
1oz St Germain
1oz Grapefruit juice
1 dash Peychauds bitters

From the Green St Grill. I use Absinthe instead of the Peychauds as it's a really bright artificial red.

The Pain of Disco

Om Shanti Om is a great movie. The clip below is the stuffed tiger cat fight.

Calvados Cocktail

2 parts Calvados
2 parts orange juice
1 part Cointreau
A few dashes orange bitters

From Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

Nikko R2D2 Webcam Review

Nikko's R2D2 webcam is 8" tall and comes with a light saber to control it, which can also be used as a Skype handset. The webcam itself works well, and it's hard to go wrong with a web-viewable R2D2 webcam, but the remote control and auto-record features don't work too well.

The R2D2 unit can be remote controlled either with the light saber remote, or with its Windows software. It has a limited range of about 10 feet. The manual says 7 meters, though in my apartment I had reliable control only in the same room. You can move it around, but only in your computer room and it won't work on carpeting. The remote has to be plugged in to your computer's USB port to work, so it's not portable, and if you have to be that close to your computer anyway to use it, it's easier to just use the computer.

The webcam can be set up to take photos or movies when it hears a sound or when scheduled by its timer, but this does not work with its standby mode, which is needed if its batteries are to last longer than a few hours. Without standby mode, it will only auto record for a few hours (8 according to the manual) from when you set it, after which its 6 AA batteries run down. So if you're using it as a nanny cam, you'll need to put new batteries in every time before leaving the house.

The first R2D2 webcam I received (from eToys.com, who were helpful with the replacement) wouldn't transmit video at all, but a replacement unit did. Nikko's customer service number in the manual has been disconnected and both eToys and I couldn't find a number that worked, so I'd suggest buying this from a store that takes returns rather than eBay.


The included software looks a bit rushed and takes a while to figure out, but it works fine. The software allows you to move R2D2, record video and images, and use it as a webcam for Skype conversations. The webcam can display overlays of an X-wing or Millennium Falcon cockpit. When dialing home to view the webcam, you can leave R2D2 in standby mode and the software will wake him up.